The team arrived in Palau on Friday, night March 28th. Saturday(29th) was a set up day. In the morning we test dove both ROVs off the dock, in the afternoon we conducted a test dive on a know dive site. The dive site was a Japanese "JAKE" seaplane. Everything worked great. Sunday, March 30 was our first work day. We searched two targets the first was a 400' long Japanese ship sunk 70 years earlier on March 30, 1944 during Operation Desecrate 1. The afternoon target was a small unknown sonar target. We conducted a search at over 100' for close to three hours but came up empty. It is now early morning on Monday, March 31. We are getting ready to search a new sonar contact.

The team would like to thank everyone that helped us reach our goal! We are leaving for the airport on our way to Palau. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and/or stockbridgerobotics.blogspot.com or on the Bentprop.org webpage. We will post as often as possible. Connecting to the internet can sometimes be a problem in Palau. Once again thank you!

Kurt, Good question. This site is used to track student generated donations and online donations. The students felt they could raise $20,000 doing this. This page does not include Grants and major sponsorship's which are tracked as a separate fundraising category by my students and I. This page is correct. The students are still trying to raise about $3,000 through this site and their own fundraising efforts.

75 Days until we leave for Palau. The team will once again be working with the BentProp Project, and Dr. Terrill's team from the Marine Physical Laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography . Our goal is to find missing U.S. aircraft and aircrews from WWII in the ocean around the Western Pacific Nation of Palau.

We are dependent upon donors like you to continue delivering high quality, cutting edge STEM opportunities into the hands of students. Please know that every dollar donated goes directly towards the Stockbridge Advanced Underwater Robotics Expedition to Palau, never towards overhead.

We are dependent upon donors like you to continue delivering high quality, cutting edge STEM opportunities into the hands of students. Please know that every dollar donated goes directly towards the Stockbridge Advanced Underwater Robotics Expedition to Palau, never towards overhead.

Whether you are a corporate partner, adviser, or an interested observer, we appreciate your support in strengthening our state and nation by developing a more innovative and intelligent workforce through this investment in youth.

We wish you and your family the very happiest of holiday seasons and best wishes for 2013!

This morning Dr. Pat Scannon and Tommy Doyle will be interviewed on MSNBCs Live with Thomas Roberts between 11am & 12:00 EST probably in the 11:30 block. They will of course be speaking on BentProp/BentStar!

If you're looking for something to do tonight in the Dewitt / Lansing area, come out to Dewitt High School and see the student created documentary film "Stockbridge to SaltH20." Support the student film makers of the DeWitt Creativity Group and the Stockbridge Advanced Underwater Robotics team.

WHAT: DCG film night featuring the student created documentary film "Stockbridge to SaltH20" ($5 admission)

WHERE: DeWitt High School Auditorium

WHEN: December 4, 2013. Night begins at 7:00pm.

WHY: To support the creativity and innovation movement as a high school student displays a product of collaboration and project based learning.

"Every day we have a chance to make history. The world is littered with facts and data of the past. However, textbooks and websites miss one vital piece. The human element. The bridge between the past and the present is making connections, forming relationships, and creating opportunities. Without it, our history is lost. Those that strive to reach this mark are those that keep the past alive and the fallen remembered."

"Stockbridge to SaltH20" dives into the journey of eight high school students as they attempt to recover the past. These talented individuals thrive in the subjects of robotics and marketing. This passion and drive for success has propelled them halfway across the globe to the Micronesian island of Palau, located in the midst of the Pacific.

The film was a direct result of the collaborative efforts of the DeWitt Creativity Group and the Stockbridge Advanced Underwater Robotics Team. It was created by Geoffry Croley with assistance from Brad Grost, both juniors attending DeWitt High School, and avid members of the DCG. They traveled with the team last spring and filmed in Palau for 14 days. A full feature documentary was created to capture the expedition they embarked on. Their product was featured in Popular Science magazine and will be streamed to students across the country via Discovery Channel.

On December 4th of this year, we invite you to celebrate the creativity and innovation movement. "Stockbridge to SaltH20" will be featured at approximately 7:45 following DeWitt Creativity Group updates and student testimonials on how unique learning opportunities have impacted their lives. At the conclusion of the film, which runs about an hour, there will be a brief talkback session and chances to network with students, educators, and supports of the DCG. Thank you for your support.

We are seeking $30,000.00 to continue our ongoing project. The funds raised will be used to fund our 2014 Expedition expenses such as airfare, boat rental and student housing. We are planning to return to Palau 27 March through 12 April 2014.

If you would like to donate by check, you can still do that. Please mail your donation to:
Stockbridge High School
ATTN: Robotics Team
416 N. Clinton St.
Stockbridge, MI 49285

The Peleliu War Museum has been little more than an old building with artifacts in it lacking an comprehensive inventory, organization, labeling, catalog or preservation plan. It has served it's purpose well as a memorial but it is time to make it into a real museum. The State is building a storage/office/work area and we are beginning to get organized. The State provides labor and we are recycling building materials. The State will also maintain the interior environment with suitable conditions of temperature and humidity--a major expense in this climate. Since there is no budget for office equipment and supplies and my own resources are limited(I'm a volunteer, not an employee, by the way), the Governor has asked that I seek donations. If there is anyone who has a laptop that is unused and would like to donate it we would be very happy to have it and it would be put to good use. We need something capable of word processing and spreadsheets. I say laptop, as opposed to something larger simply because of the cost of shipping, which we would also need to be donated. While we are on US domestic postal service large and heavy items are still expensive to ship. Please be aware that while the Museum is not for profit a donation cannot be deducted under US tax law as we are not in the US. I know that "beggars can't be choosers" but I am most familiar with OS X systems. Thanks. David

We are starting to receive items for out silent auction and movie night. The event is scheduled for Friday, November 8th at Heritage Elementary School. We will have online bidding this year. More information will be coming out soon.

The story on the Stockbridge Robotics team airs this Monday (9-9-13) on Daily Planet on Discovery Channel Canada.
7pm ET and the full show will be available online the next day on our site: http://www.discoverychannel.ca/dailyplanet

Help the S.H.S. Underwater Robotics team return to Palau in March of 2014. We will be returning to Palau to search for aircrews missing in action since WWII. Our mission is funded entirely by student-led fundraising, so we need your support! https://www.facebook.com/StockbridgeRobotics